Grounded
by Diathimos
Summary: Deleted scenes, chapters, vignettes, and one-shots from "Flying with an Angel"
1. Moving into the Temple

**MOVING INTO THE TEMPLE**

 _or_

 _ **Formerly Chapters 2 through 5 of "Flying with an Angel"**_

* * *

Coming home to his and Qui-Gon's quarters was one of the hardest things Obi-Wan had done in his life. And having another being who wasn't Qui-Gon staying where Obi-Wan and his Master had made so many memories together was both a great relief to not be alone and felt as if it was an offense that someone should take Qui-Gon's room so soon after his passing. As such, when he and Anakin arrived at the door, his emotions were so high that he said as few words as possible.

"You can have my old room. It's...on the left." and then as they entered the room, "Just give me a moment to move my things.

He didn't have many possessions. They all fit inside one box that he carried across the living area before stopping in front of the most difficult door he would ever open.

"Master? Are you alright?" The boy hadn't moved from his position next to the door. Obi-Wan looked at him with reddened eyes and paused.

"If you get hungry before dinner, um...there should be something in the cooling unit. Even if it's just juice and a few protein bars." he took in a sharp breath and rubbed at his eyes, "Qui-Gon wasn't a very good cook and I can't say I am either. If you need anything else, just knock."

With that he disappeared, leaving Anakin alone in the space. His Master obviously didn't want to be disturbed. There were a few holos on the wall, but Anakin passed them by, electing to move his rucksack of belongings into his new quarters. The room was as sparse as it was long and narrow. The bed was on his right, running perpendicular to the door with a window centered above it. All the way to his left, opposite the window, was his own private fresher. His own private fresher? He had to be dreaming. Excepting a dresser on one wall and a long, low table on the other, the room was a blank slate with grey walls to match that mood. If this was going to be home for the next who knew how many years, it was going to need a few adjustments.

He peeked out his door, checking for Obi Wan, before shutting it and emptying his bag onto the bed. He quickly moved an odd looking device with multiple straps and two long filaments coming off of it into the bottom drawer of the dresser and covered it with the little clothing he had brought from Tatooine. He took out the one small holo he had of his mother and himself and set it on the short nightstand next to the bed. The rest of his possessions were all parts and pieces of various projects in different stages of completeness which he arranged on the table, though he knew that any order would disappear very, very quickly.

He checked the cooling unit, and as Obi-Wan said, there was juice and protein bars along with something else that looked a bit too green and fuzzy for safe human consumption. He may not actually have been human, but he wasn't stupid either and promptly discarded the item into the trash. With snacks in hand he returned to his room and what he would now refer to as his workbench.

Hours passed and before Anakin knew it, there was a knock on his door.

"Come in."

A moment later, Obi-Wan's head poked through the door.

"Are you hung- Well, you made yourself at home, didn't you." A smile played at his lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Anakin broke his gaze from his work and cast a sheepish look towards the door.

"I like fixing things." He didn't mean to make such a mess so quickly, it just just sort of...happened.

"As I was saying, are you hungry?" Obi-Wan was exhausted physically and mentally from having to sort through Qui-Gon's belongings that afternoon. He needed to eat.

Anakin practically leapt with excitement, "Starved!"

"Grab your cloak, we're going out tonight." This would be the first time for Obi-Wan to go to this restaurant without Qui-Gon, and he didn't quite know how it would affect him, but he needed to make new memories and so did Anakin. And so the tradition of Dex's Diner continued through another generation of Master and Padawan with no foreseeable end in the future.

* * *

Anakin could not remember the last time he had eaten such a delicious meal, or one so large. It was the greatest feast of his young life and though there was an undertone of loss and grief to the evening, Anakin had a wonderful time. He could tell he was going to become very familiar with both the menu and the owner of Dex's Diner.

The Coruscanti sunrise filtered through the blinds of his window and onto his face. He had never felt so relaxed and content in his life. For once his sleep had been warm and comfortable. Tatooine was famous for its searing heat in the daytime, but as night would fall the temperatures would plummet. The atmosphere of Coruscant was controlled, however, as were the heating and cooling systems of the temple.

He glanced at the small chrono on the nightstand, blinking 06:00, and a sudden realization overcame him. He didn't have to get up, and it was bliss. A few moments later he heard a knock on his door to which the only reaction given was a low groan muffled by the pillow his head was buried in. Two knocks and three "Anakin"s later he felt a weight settle onto the edge of the bed next to him.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan's voice was almost welcome, "Anakin, it's time to wake up." Almost. Obi-Wan watched as the child reached over to the chrono and squinted at the display.

"But, I just looked at the clock. It was 06:00." confusion drenched his sleepy expression.

The knight smiled, "That was nearly two hours ago. And if you don't get up soon we are going to be late. I think it would be best to be punctual on your first day."

"First day of what?"

"Of apprenticeship, my very young padawan. We've got a big day ahead of us. Paperwork for me, placement testing for you and your appointment with the healers."

Anakin's eyes shot open at the last statement. He was going to need to stall and make a plan. "Will there be time for me to take a shower?" Anakin hoped beyond all belief that there was, not only to give him more time but also because he had never bathed with real water before. Of all the places he had ever lived, none of them had hydro-showers, only sonic. He expected that it would be much more pleasant.

"I suppose there will be," Obi Wan paused, "just be ready by 08:30." On that note, his ginger-haired master left the room.

Anakin bolted out of bed and into the fresher, which he promptly locked. His whole body was shaking. What in the Great Pit of Carkoon was he going to do? He had not planned on having a check-up, there was only so much he would be able to hide. He removed his tunic and began unwinding the long strips of cloth around his torso.

It had been several days since he could release his wings from their casing. It both brought discomfort and relief. He did his best to check both for any injury or any broken or bent feathers. Satisfied with their state of being, he proceeded with his shower.

The vent on the ceiling of the fresher gave him an idea. As long as he found a holocomm or a data pad before the appointment, he would continue to be hidden from Zan Arbor and her compatriots.

Despite his alarm at the appointment with the healers he was very relaxed at the moment and couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. There was just so much water, more water than he had seen in his entire time on Tatooine. He wanted to stay in the shower for much longer, but he knew he shouldn't waste too much time. He still had to rebind his extra appendages. He was going to have to finish that cloaking device soon, and before binding became an impossible task. He was in desperate hope that he wouldn't have another growth spurt in the near future.

He was also going to have to get new tape, as the old roll was getting much too stretched and worn out. He finished the last wrap and tucked the end into place. Before putting his tunic back on, he stared at the tattoo just below his clavicle. He hated it, and hated even more that he didn't know what it said. Four lines of text with a scar bisecting them, where his mother had removed his first transmitter. The second was still somewhere on his person, but Watto had deactivated that and given the controls to Qui-Gon who had promptly destroyed them. He would never forget the kindness shown him by the Jedi Master.

As quickly as possible he resumed preparing himself for the day's events. Now that he had a plan, he did not need to stall any longer. Before walking out into the living area, he glanced at the chrono, 08:29.

"Just in time, padawan." A protein bar was thrown in his direction, which he caught with less grace than he would have liked, "Let's go."

Anakin's last thought before leaving the apartment was much simpler than you might expect.

'I've got a bad feeling about this.'

* * *

Anakin stared at the datapad Master Nu had handed him. Obi-Wan was in a chair off to the side of the private study room that the pair were occupying. Anakin was seated in front of a small table. He didn't want to disturb his master, but at the same time he would never be able to finish the test. He had been counting on it being an oral test like in the council room. His heart rate increased and he could feel his nerves rising. The first attempt he made to speak ended up sounding more like a squeak than actual language.

"Master?" to which Obi-Wan looked up from the forms that were occupying him.

"Yes, Padawan?" The sheepish look on Anakin's face was very evident.

He shook his head before speaking again, keeping his eyes downcast. "I can't take this test." That one sentence took a great deal of bravery. He severely hoped he wouldn't have to explain more.

"Of course you can, Anakin. This is simply to determine what classes you should be entered in, what level you will be most comfortable at. Whatever you get on this will neither count for or against you."

"But, Master, I can't. I-" Anakin glanced up at Obi-Wan before returning his gaze to the floor, "I can't read." Obi-Wan was floored by the statement. Most younglings were fluent readers by age six, and at the Temple it was often even younger. "I mean, I know a few words. I'm a bit better with Huttese, but-" his breath hitched and the shame in his voice was palpable, "I don't know nearly enough to do this. You might as well stick me with the three-year-olds."

Obi-Wan moved his chair over next to Anakin and shifted the datapad so it was between them. "Well, there's no rule that says I can't read the questions to you, now is there. And tomorrow, we can start working on your reading skills together. Does that sound alright to you?" Anakin nodded his head vigorously and they both smiled.

"Alright, question number one."

* * *

The results of Anakin's test were the only thing on Obi-Wan's mind as he and his padawan approached the healer's wing. Except for basic mathematics, the boy had practically failed the entire test. It took everything Obi-Wan had not to give away the answers. He didn't think Anakin was stupid, but it appeared that the boy had literally no schooling up to this point in his young life.

Anakin's gaze remained glued to the floor. He didn't know what he got on the quiz, but he knew it was bad. And only more bad things were going to happen in the near future. He felt like a man condemned as he and his master approached the healing wing. He had a rudimentary plan but it was doubtful that it would end up working.

Entering the examination room was enough to make Anakin's heart pound in his ears. The healer was a friendly Mon Calamari named Bant. She and Obi-Wan appeared to be friends, though how close, Anakin had no idea. He had to concentrate, he remembered how to do this. It was nothing he hadn't done before.

First they took his height and weight. One point four meters and sixteen point seven eight kilos.* Obi Wan gasped though Anakin wasn't sure why. He was lifted gently onto a high table where the healer continued the exam. She shined a light into his eyes and made him stick out his tongue and what seemed like a hundred other things, but he wished it had been a thousand is it meant delaying what was to be the final part of his check up.

Thus far he had been able to keep himself in check and not show how deeply his fear ran, if he wasn't careful Obi-Wan's suspicions would grow exponentially. But, then Healer Eerin rolled up his sleeve and sterilized the crook of his elbow. The smell of the liquid made him start hyperventilating. He had to act now before he lost all control.

"Anakin, are you alright? Bant, I think we should give him a moment." the Knight's eyebrows furrowed together.

It was too late. She had already pulled out the needle and Anakin had seen it. It was a reflex. He hadn't meant for it to be this extreme though he knew it was coming, he was planning on it, counting on it. He screamed.

Obi-Wan saw Anakin screaming at the sight of the needle, but he couldn't hear it. Bant was clutching the sides of her head and the lights were flickering.

"Hold him down!" Bant ordered as she grabbed another hypodermic filled with a blue liquid.

Obi-Wan did as he was told though he severely regretted it. Anakin thrashed about and the lights continued flickering until the Mon Cala put the second hypo against the boy's neck and the the lights went out.

"That-"the healer panted, "was the strangest thing I have ever heard." And then the lights returned with the back-up generator's ignition. She quickly reached for the first hypo again and quickly took the sample from Anakin, ready to insert it into the analysis machine, but it wouldn't respond to her.

"It's shorted out." Her voice was calm as her hands gripped the sides of the screen.

"What?" His day only got more confusing the longer it went on.

"Your padawan. He's shorted out the computer system."

*For those of you using the "standard" system, he is about 4' 8" and 37 lbs at this point.

* * *

Healer Eerin had said it would be several hours, if not morning, before the boy would regain consciousness. He had taken him off from over his shoulder and set Anakin on his bed once they had returned to their quarters. Anakin didn't even weigh seventeen kilos! He was just barely half the weight he should be for his height and age. Obi-Wan knew life must have been hard on Tatooine, but how was the boy even alive? Bant had given him a bottle of vitamins and a container of some sort of protein powder Anakin was supposed to mix into a drink every morning until his weight stabilized. There was concern over whether or not more serious health problems would exist because of prolonged malnourishment, but they wouldn't know until the computer systems were fixed and the blood sample could be properly analyzed.

"Oh, Qui-Gon, what have I gotten myself into?"

The fog cleared from Anakin's mind as he forced himself to the fresher and splashed water on his face. He hadn't been expecting the dose of sleep-inducer, but it wouldn't affect his plan as long as the computer's were still down.

Once he was fully awake he moved quietly to his door and pressed his ear against it, trying to determine if his master had already gone to sleep. He slid the door open a crack so he could hear better. Nothing. He crept out of his room and went almost to Obi-Wan's door, still listening. Anakin chuckled silently as he finally heard his master's light snoring. Returning to his quarters, he piled his extra clothes underneath the blanket on his bed in case Obi-Wan decided to check on him in the middle of the night. It may not have been fool-proof, but perhaps it would buy him some time.

Finally, he went to the bottom drawer of his dresser and pulled out the device he had previously hidden. Though it wasn't complete for his original intent, with some minor adjustments it would be perfect for tonight. After detaching the two filaments, he strapped it to his back and with the flip of a switch he became invisible.

* * *

For the sake of extra precaution, he had crawled through the vents, doing his best to remember the path to the healer's wing, which proved to be a more difficult task than expected. They had gone to the healer's from the archives that afternoon and he was unconscious on their return trip, so his route was much less direct than he had hoped for.

When he finally made it to the examination room, he dropped down from the ceiling and quietly as he could. Thankfully the vent was positioned over the table. He made his way carefully to the cooling unit where he knew his blood sample had to be stored until the computers rebooted. In addition to his sample there were several others waiting to be analyzed. A simple switch of labels and he wouldn't have to worry for a very long time. He couldn't tell all of the characters on the label he exchanged for his, though he did identify the initials. F. O. He only hoped he wouldn't cause this "F. O." any trouble, but any trouble they received would be significantly less than what he would have received.

He returned as quickly as possible to his quarters and slept more soundly than he had in ages. Zan Arbor wouldn't find him and neither would anyone else. For the first time in his life he was really and truly safe. And as long as he got his cloak working fully he always would be.

Safe.


	2. Vanqor

**VANQOR**

 _or_

 ** _Formerly Chapters 6 through 11 of "Flying with an Angel"_**

Nothing got on Anakin's nerves quite like Obi-Wan's lectures. They seemed to go on for hours and on occasion they actually did. So far it had been a solid twenty-three minutes and Obi-Wan had barely taken a breath. It was nothing he didn't know already, nothing he hadn't heard a thousand times before. Jedi are peacekeepers. Violence is a final resort. There is no emotion, there is peace. It had been pounded into him for the last six years since he had arrived at the temple.

His annoyance was only increased by the fact that he hadn't been able to sneak away to his room so he could lick his wounds before Obi-Wan began his speech. He was fairly certain that a few of his ribs were cracked, or at least bruised and the wrist of his right arm was dislocated. Ferus had improved in his hand-to-hand skills since they had last gotten into a brawl, not nearly enough for the temple's "golden boy" to not be sent to the healing wing again, however.

It was everything Anakin could do to sit up straight on the couch. The next few hours would be miserable until the fractures in his chest healed themselves. Most of his bruises should have already faded. It surprised him that his Master had never noticed how quickly Anakin would recover from his injuries. He hadn't been to the healers, thank goodness, since he had first arrived at the temple.

No doubt he would once again have all blame placed on his shoulders. Every time Anakin would try to defend himself and explain what had happened, Obi-Wan would tell him to not shift the blame and to stop lying. Anakin may have lied to his master significantly over the years, but only out of protecting himself and his mother, never to get himself out of trouble.

"Well? Do you have an answer?"

Anakin shook his head. There was no use in him even trying to explain himself anymore. Repeating what Padawan Olin had called him and his mother would only make him more upset and aggravate his ribcage. It was hard enough controlling the pain as it was.

"Go to your room and think about what you've done."

' _You mean think about how I defended my honor?'_ he thought to himself. He palmed the door open with his left hand as he was keeping his right as still as possible until he could get to the fresher where he could pop the joint back into place. After he locked the fresher door behind him, he turned on the shower and grunted as he realigned the bones of his forearm with practiced ease. Now that he had use of both his hands, he reached behind to remove the cloaking device from his back and wings, unclipping the filaments from along his extra appendages first. If he were able to patent the design he could revolutionize the industry, a cloak with a focused and limited field was something out of a holofilm, especially on this scale. However, a patent would draw attention to himself and cause people to ask more questions than he wanted to answer.

After showering and replacing the cloak onto his torso, he stared at the tattoo over his left clavicle. Part of him wished he had never learned to read Aurebesh.

* * *

Anakin dreaded when that schutta would be released from the Healer's wing. Obi-Wan had already forced him to apologize to Ferus. If the golden boy would just leave him alone, everything would be fine. He tried so hard to ignore the insults and sneers. It was no secret that he was a slave before he came to the Jedi.

Obi-Wan was in a meeting, being briefed about an upcoming mission, and Anakin just didn't feel like sitting alone in his quarters for lunch. The cafeteria was usually busy around lunch, and today they had an especially good meal on the menu. Fried nuna was the main dish, it was a rarity in the Temple because of the amount of work and expense that went into it. No one could live forever on ration bar, however.

After filling his tray, he scanned the crowd for a familiar, and friendly, face. Darra and Tru were sitting at a small table by the windows and when they saw him looking, they waved him over. They were the closest people he had ever had to friends, next to Kitster. Even then, often times Kitster and his relationship had been more mutually beneficial. It was easier to steal food so you wouldn't starve when you had a look out.

He moved quickly over to the table and sat down. Nobody talked until he finished his meal, which didn't take very long. The two other padawans had learned very quickly not to distract Anakin from his food. He ate more than all the other padawans, sometimes eating as much as two or three persons might eat. Once, another padawan, a wookie, had challenged him to an eating contest, which Anakin had won with ease. It wasn't something Master Kenobi had been pleased with, but the Knight never argued as the healers were still concerned about Anakin's weight.

As Anakin cleared his tray of all edible material, he started to notice that the headache that had plagued him night and day since he left Tatooine was easing. It always loosened it's clutches when he was around Tru and Darra. To be honest, it even got better around Ferus. He had yet to figure out the connection, but he wasn't going to complain.

They held idle conversation, trying to stall returning to their rooms, until all three comlinks rang simultaneously. Duty called. All three master-padawan teams had received missions.

Before he knew it, he and Obi-Wan were headed of to Typha-Dor and his headache had returned, full-force. A mission would be a good distraction. Yes, a very good distraction, and it couldn't possibly go worse than their previous mission. They had ultimately brought peace to the system, but Master Yaddle's death bothered him more deeply than he was willing to admit. Anything would be better than that. Anything.

* * *

 _Several days later on the planet Vanqor_

Panic. It was all consuming to Anakin. Every sense had been on high alert since he had been forced to crash land the second ship thus far on the mission, every sense except for his logic that is. He had remained calm and done everything he could to ensure that the disc containing the Vanqors true attack plan would stay hidden until it could be delivered to Typha-Dor and prevent a massacre. He had complied with the group of Vanqors that had shot down and captured himself and the few Typha-Dorans who had been left at the surveillance outpost. They had been outnumbered and with Obi-Wan hidden and able to call for backup, it had been his best option to be compliant and keep the information hidden. That was before he realized who was in charge of the camp they were being led to. There was a symbol on the sleeves of their captors, and he would know that insignia anywhere.

The muscles in his back and neck were so rigid they made his bones ache and they increased the prevalence of his migraine. His head pounded and it took every ounce of willpower not to give in to the fight-or-flight response which so easily came to him. It was the reason he was so good in battle. He knew exactly the moment when continuing confrontation began to have more risks than a retreat. Neither of those options would end well for him until backup arrived. His whole focus had to be on staying invisible and disappearing in the crowd, to have a number not a name. His life depended on it.

As they went deeper into the facility the scent of sterility augmented his unstable state even further and he felt his breathing start to get more rapid though he did keep a certain amount of control. He wasn't hyperventilating, yet.

One by one the group got smaller as they were taken through doors on either side of the hallway and he finally noticed that he wasn't the only one on the verge of a break down. It wasn't good for any of them to be there, not just him. Shalini had entrusted him with the disc though, he had to remain hidden at all costs. It was about more than just himself, now. The whole planet of Typha-Dor was relying on him, but could he do it? Could he not fail? He wasn't sure. He had to try though.

 _Try not. Do...or do not. There is no try._

He shook his head, as if it would shake the thoughts of Yoda's disappointment and his own guilt from his mind. It least those thoughts half distracted him from the pain.

They came to a door marked 063 and he was shoved inside with the door locking behind him, just like the others. It was a small room, no more than three meters by four meters with a sleeping pallet on the right, a small holoviewer on the left, and a door to what he assumed was a fresher. The holoviewer hummed and the image of a human female appeared dressed in a labcoat.

"Hello and welcome! At this facility our primary concern is your comfort. Accommodations are simple but designed to increase your personal satisfaction during your stay."

Anakin couldn't help but roll his eyes at that. Personal satisfaction, what a load of bantha poodoo.

"Please, do not be alarmed at your door being locked. Some time after you complete viewing this holomessage the lock will release and you will be allowed to explore the rest of this facility."

A map took the place of the woman, showing the locations of a common area, cafeteria, outdoor garden, infirmary, and even a gymnasium with a pool. What kind of POW camp was this?

"Meals are served at 08:00, 12:00, and 18:00. While you are not required to attend each of these meals, we want to ensure that all residents remain healthy and well-fed."

The woman appeared again.

"Each room is provided with private refresher, complete with all the most modern conveniences and amenities. Additionally, underneath the sink is a small compartment where you will find a change of brown tunics. Please, put these on and place your previous garments on the shelf. They will be cleaned and stored safely until your departure. Everyday, between the hours of 08:00 and 12:00, a maid service will come and clean your quarters and replace your garments with another fresh set. If you find that your garments are ill-fitting, simply leave a note for the maid. We hope you will enjoy your stay!"

There had to be a catch. As soon as the holo blinked out, he began searching the room and fresher from top to bottom for some sort of bug. Nothing. Even the holoviewer was only one way. Nothing made sense. He would stick to his plan though, stay hidden. He went to the fresher and got the tunics from where the holo said they would be. They would help him blend in. With a few adjustments to his cloak, compensating for the new garment, his extra limbs would remain hidden from sight. The other prisoners had been relieved of their weapons previously, but Anakin had been able to keep his saber hidden for the time being. He slid both the disc and his hilt into a small recess he had put into the cloaking device.

The door still hadn't unlocked. He felt he should be doing something. What he needed to do was take a shower. Thus far the mission hadn't allowed any opportunity for bathing, and he had to admit, he was not smelling so hot right now. Perhaps it wasn't normal fifteen year old behavior, but he really didn't want to smell like a Wookie's backside any longer.

He felt his muscles start to relax under the pounding of the hot water. Funny, the only thing pounding was the water, not his head. Ah well, what did it really matter. It was the first time in years his head didn't hurt at all and he was going to enjoy it. Perhaps his stay in the camp wouldn't be nearly as terrible as he thought.

 _Click_

* * *

The moment the Vanqors were out of sight, Obi-Wan pulled out his comlink to call for backup. They were in way over their heads. Although it wasn't safe to make a direct call to Coruscant, a distress call could be relayed be any Jedi in the neighboring systems. He used several encryptions and wished more than anything that there would be a quick response. Did Anakin have that much time? Obi-Wan's best bet at keeping his Padawan safe was to follow him and gather and information he could on the best way to leave the planet.

There was the speeder Anakin had cobbled together in the back of their grounded ship, and he didn't have too much trouble following the fleet of ships that had captured the rest of his party until they flew over a small range of mountains. The face was very sheer with no possibility of continuing in the vehicle. He hid the speeder under a low outcropping. Hopefully it wouldn't be picked up on any satellites. With as much grace as he could manage, which wasn't much as he was still strained from their less than ideal landing, he scaled the cliff using his cable launcher. It took him much longer than he had expected, the ships would be long gone and it would take him significantly longer to find where Anakin was taken. But then, he reached the top and discovered that it wasn't a range of mountains, but rather a ring of them surrounding a small plateau containing what appeared a be a cross between a POW camp and an exclusive resort.

The compound was large with exceptional landscaping for such an arid climate. Using his electrobinoculars, he found that there were benches and large windows, a pool and a large field where several beings were playing some sort of ball game. The entire area, however was surrounded by what appeared to be an electric fence and the hangar and landing field was separated from the other buildings by a ray shielded fence. This mission just kept getting stranger.

Littering the area between plateau and the mountains were some very worrying craters, from which a sudden animalistic screech confirmed Obi-Wan's fears. They were gundarks nests. That would certainly complicate things. Back-up was most definitely needed. He found a small cave, pulled up his hood, and waited.

* * *

A light blinked on the dashboard, signaling an incoming transmission, it wasn't live though.

"Hello there! This is Knight Kenobi." What sort of trouble had Obi-Wan gotten himself into now?

Apparently a simple recon mission had gone rather awry. It was just like Kenobi to have to complicate her day. She forwarded the message to her sister ship and commed the pilot.

"What do you think, Garen? Should we put our mission on hold and save their sorry hides?"

"Is that even a question?" Crackled over the speakers.

A voice chimed in from the copilots seat, "Master, are you sure it is wise to delay our own mission?"

"Maybe, maybe not, but we're going to help them out either way. Reset the nav coordinates. Dropping out of hyperspace in three ." The two ships jolted into real space simultaneously and re-entered hyperspace moments later.

"It'll be a piece of sweet cake, Tachi."

* * *

Anakin had never felt more calm and relaxed in his life. Taking his time, it was a full hour until he emerged from the fresher and discovered that the door to the hallway was unlocked. Nothing in his room had been moved, so he might as well explore.

The building was exactly as described in the holo. He made his way to the cafeteria where cleaning droids were removing the last traces of the mid-day meal. After watching the droids cycle through the room for an extended period of time, he realized the route they followed was based in the Fibonacci sequence, an ancient mathematical formula allowing the droids to clean the most amount of space in the least amount of time. As the droids finished and returned to their docking stations, he decided to continue his venture through the complex.

Wandering his way around, in and out of the building, he found Shalini lying in the grass, staring at the clouds above her. He laid down next to her.

"That one looks like a Reek head." she said, raising her hand to point at the specific cloud.

"Oh yeah, it does."

* * *

 _En route. ETA tomorrow 18:00. -Tachi_

Relief flooded through Obi-Wan. Help was on its way and he couldn't have asked for better backup. The tension between Ferus and Anakin could be problematic, but if Garen and his padawan were coming along as he suspected, the Teevan would be able to diffuse anything that cropped up. Tru had a knack for that.

Obi-Wan moved to the coordinates for the arrival of the ships. After the landing there was a flurry of greetings and they all went into Tachi's ship to plan how to break out Anakin and the other Typha-Dorans from the camp. Someone had shoved something mildly more edible than the ration bars Obi-Wan had been consuming and a canteen of water into his hands. He suspected Siri.

Between bites he did his best to describe the camp's layout. It was decided that when the next ship went over the mountains and into the hangar, they would latch onto the bottom with their grappling cables and jump off just after they got past the ray shields. The masters each would search for the Typha-Dorans in a different area of the compound and Padawans Olin and Veld would search for Anakin specifically and do any recon they could on the camp. Ry Gaul and Clee Rhara would keep the ships warm for a speedy escape.

"You ready Obi-Wan?" Siri smirked at him as they reached the crest of the range.

He glanced over at her and shook his head, "Of course, not. I hate flying."

A chorus of laughs went on for a bit which Garen ended with a wave of his hand despite the fact that he was having difficulty holding back himself, "Don't worry, hehe, it'll be a piece of sweet cake."

They took the best cover they could while they waited for the next set of ships to go overhead. It was nearly 01:00 when they heard engines approaching. Garen and Siri were the first to take the leap, followed by Tru. Obi Wan and Ferus caught the next ship that was following closely behind. The weight of five persons on one ship would have been too noticeable. Despite the bright search lights, they were able to stay concealed, hugging as close to the hulls as they could. Obi-Wan was the last to detach from the vessel and went into a roll when he reached the ground, absorbing the impact as evenly as he could.

"Another happy landing," he whispered to his four shadowed companions. It was like a dance, making their way around the lights, staying in the dark. On their way to the main building, they found a supply shed. Although the front of the small outbuilding was lit, the back was completely black. It acquired a brand new entrance that evening, via saber blade. The sentries wouldn't discover it or the five missing uniforms until the following afternoon.

* * *

Dinner was plain but nourishing here. Anakin wouldn't have minded a bit more kick but he wasn't one to turn down food, especially considering the portion sizes here. Everyone got the same amount. The food was same the second night as the first, boring but satisfactory. He and the others he arrived with were sitting in the commons playing a game of sabacc, using old fashioned fiber cards and no betting system, all but one of the group, that is. To their knowledge he hadn't left his quarters yet, not even to eat. After the third round, Anakin noticed a throbbing at the base of his skull. By the sixth round the migraine had returned in full force, perhaps even stronger than previously.

He did his best to continue playing, but eventually his hands started shaking. Before it got any worse he bid goodnight to the others and returned to his room. He turned off the lights and waited in the dark hoping that would help. It didn't. What he needed was a shower. Yeah, that would do wonders for him.

His mind wandered in every direction and none under the stream of the shower head, but it kept circling back to one phrase. He did his best ignore that phrase.

 _Must be something in the water._

The ends justify the means, don't they?

* * *

Hours later he woke to someone shaking his shoulders.

"-akin...Anakin, you need to wake up." Something about that voice, it made him want to slap whoever it was, but the feeling passed almost as quickly as it had come on. His eyelids fluttered open, revealing a dark mopped head with a streak of gold running through the bangs. Anakin shut his eyes again.

"Come on, Skywalker, wake up." there was a light slap on his cheek. He batted the hand away and turned so his back was to the wall and folded his wings as best as he could underneath himself. Thank goodness he had left the cloak on while he slept.

"You try, Veld." The mattress under Anakin dipped and swayed with the change of weight.

"Anakin..." he opened his eyes again, this time to his best friend, "You need to get up, we have to get out of here."

Anakin hesitated to respond, prompting the other padawan to continue talking, "Are you injured?" Anakin shook his head at that. He was far from injured.

That annoying voice decided to chime in again, "We need to get out of here. Our Master's are waiting for us. We need to get the Vanqors true attack plan to Typha-Dor."

So they were leaving. He might as well welcome his headaches back with open arms. At least Tru would be there. His headaches always lessened around the other padawan. He threw the covers off and stood up with more grace than he usually possessed.

"Just let me get my saber. I hid it in the fresher." The lie went unnoticed. As if it was an afterthought, he mentioned, "Do either of you have a canteen I could borrow? I'm quite thirsty."

Ferus nearly yelled in surprise, "You've been in a POW camp for the last two days and you want a canteen? We should be getting out of here before we're all caught."

"Here, Anakin. Take mine." Tru held out his for Anakin's taking.

Anakin was genuinely thirsty and drained it as soon as he went into the fresher, before refilling it from the tap. Knowing this could be his last opportunity, he ran his head under the faucet as well. He removed the disc and his saber from the cloak and grabbed his tunics before exiting.

"Why the kriff is you hair all-" Ferus seethed with frustration and anxiety, "you know what, never mind. Let's get out of here." He didn't look behind to see if they were following him.

Tru cast a quizzical glance to Anakin.

"I was hot."

The Teevan turned to the door checking for any others who might be wandering the hall. "Later, we will be having words."

* * *

They have escaped the camp. Heated discussion between Tru and Anakin. Back on their ship, Anakin reveals his knowledge of Jenna Zan Arbor running the camp, but not the connections he has to her. Ferus says that he knows Anakin is hiding something, and promises to find out what.

The arc finishes much like in the original stories, however Jenna Zan Arbor is not seen. Her name only mentioned. Obi-Wan tells stories of his first encounter with her, when Qui-Gon was still alive. The topic is never brought up for the remainder of Anakin's apprenticeship.

 **A/N To speed the publishing of the main story line, I have not completed this arc for the time being. These last two paragraphs are a summary of will eventually be added to this arc.**


End file.
